


That Summer

by Songficcer



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: AU, Adult Content, F/F, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2014-09-10
Packaged: 2018-02-16 07:41:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2261457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Songficcer/pseuds/Songficcer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ami recalls the summer she fell in love for the very first time. AU Ami/Mako</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Photographs

Fifteen years wasn't a long time. Not in the grand scheme of things. Not really. But so much could change in a year, that as Ami sat and watched her friends she wondered how they all survived college and life after that.

"Oh, wow," said the woman to her right, a blond with her hair up in buns and long ponytails. She was holding a picture in her hand, one from a stock pile that had been brought out during their get together that now sat on a low table between the four women. "This is a bad photo of me," she said with a smile.

"Usagi, every photo of you is a bad photo," came the snarky reply of dark eyed beauty across from her. But her harsh words were dulled by her gentle voice as she smiled at the pig-tailed blond.

Usagi turned to her sister, "Your wife is being mean again, Mina-chan!"

Minako laughed. "Rei is always mean to you, Usagi-chan." Then she turned to her partner. "And excuse you! If there is a bad photo of Usagi, it means my photos are bad as well. We're twins after all!"

Rei only smiled and leaned across the table to kiss her wife on the cheek. "Hush." Rei turned to Ami then. "Where's your other half tonight, Ami-chan?"

Ami smiled and took a sip of her drink. "Home," the bluenette answered as she set her drink down. "She's just not feeling well tonight."

Rei nodded in understanding. "Still feeling ill, after all this time?"

Ami nodded. "She is. She's turning out to be one of those women where pregnancy just doesn't agree with her until the baby arrives."

Usagi grimaced. "And she has six more months to wait! Poor girl."

"Oh, wow," Minako said, echoing her sister just minutes before. Everyone turned to the blond to see she was holding up another picture. "Talk about a blast from the past!" She turned the picture so everyone else could see and three pairs of eyes went wide.

"Wasn't that the summer after our first year of college," Usagi asked, taking the picture from her sister to study. "We look so young!"

"I was already in my fourth year of medical school," Ami corrected, taking another sip of her drink.

"Yeah, we know," Minako said sullenly. "You left me in middle school to go to high school and by the time I got there, you had gone to college." She wagged her manicured finger at Ami. "Skipping levels wasn't allowed, Mizuno-sensei!"

Ami laughed as Usagi handed her the picture next. "You had Usagi-chan," she said.

"Exactly my point," Minako huffed.

"Hey," cried her sister. Usagi then picked up the pillow she had been sitting on and smacked Minako in the face with it.

As the blondes wrestled around, Rei shook her head accompanied by a long suffering sigh. Ami giggled and glanced down at the photo Usagi had given her a moment ago. She felt her heart give an audible _thump_ in her chest as she looked down at a nineteen-year-old version of herself, her two best friends, and Rei. They had crowded into a picture taken with someone's phone (Ami remembered it was Minako's) and with them, her arms wrapped around the quiet little blue-haired bookworm, was Makoto, her green eyes bright and shining.

Ami felt her cheeks go warm at the memories that flashed in her mind from the summer she fell in love.

 


	2. The Invitation

The water was warm and the sand warmer. The beach was crowded and the sun beat down on them all, causing temperatures to rise in more ways than one. On their own large blanket with umbrella, a group of friends sat and took in the sights around them.

"There are so many good looking people here," Minako said happily as she looked around at the various crowds. "No shortage of eye candy, no sir."

"Don't let Rei-chan hear you say that," Usagi teased with a smile. She turned to her boyfriend, a dark haired young man a year older than her. "Mamo-chan, will you put lotion on my back?"

A man of few words, Mamoru smiled and took the bottle from his girlfriend. "Of course, Usako." The blond smiled and happily turned her back to him and moments later she felt his warm hands and cool lotion on her back.

"Don't let me hear what," asked a deep but feminine voice. Minako turned just as a soda can was dangled in front of her nose and smiled.

"Thanks, Rei," Minako said happily, popping the tab and taking a drink.

"Minako is checking out other people," Usagi answered when she realized Minako wouldn't herself. Her sister glared at her.

The raven haired beauty huffed as she sat beside Minako, the bag she had been holding off to the side. "That's nothing new."

"It doesn't bother you she looks at other people," Usagi asked, surprised.

"Of course not," Rei answered. She rummaged inside the bag and handed a package of pocky to Usagi.

"What's wrong with looking," Minako asked. "Besides, I already have the top of the line. Why would I want something of lesser quality?" She turned to Rei and smiled before leaning over and pecking her on the cheek. Rei smirked, glad her slightly darker complexion hid the blush forming on her cheeks. Mostly.

Sitting with the group, her ears in the conversation but her eyes in a book, sat a mousy blue-haired girl. The umbrella was mostly for her sake, as she was pale and no amount of sunscreen would keep her freckled skin from burning. She was much like Mamoru in the regard of she wasn't much of a talker and enjoyed reading more than gossiping. To anyone outside looking in, it would seem as though the bluenette wasn't enjoying herself. But Ami knew this had been the most fun she had had in a great while. Even if she didn't enjoy being out in public much.

"Hey, Ami-chan, you're being awfully quiet," Minako said, peeking around Usagi at their childhood friend. Then groaned. "Dammit, Usagi, take that book from her!"

Ami startled at that and jerked her head up to look at the blond who had spoken, her book clutched to her chest. "Why?"

"Because you're not having fun," Minako sighed. She reached over Usagi's lap, making a grab for Ami's book.

"I am, too, having fun," Ami said, pulling away from Minako's grasping fingers. Minako laid outstretched across Usagi's lap, glaring at her oldest friend, fingers still wiggling.

Rei swatted at the blond's thigh a second package of pocky. "Leave the girl alone," she scolded.

"But I told her no books," Minako grumped, sitting up and crossing her arms. She continued to glare at Ami.

"You said no school books," Ami responded. "This isn't a school book!"

"You're cheating, Mizuno-sensei!"

"So your father was alright with us staying at his summer home, Rei-san," Mamoru asked, hoping to avoid a fight. Minako could be a bit over bearing at times.

Rei realized this and went along with it. She smirked as she answered, "He's more than fine. He's hoping I'll meet a boy."

"Fat chance," Minako laughed. She turned her attention to the lavender eyed beauty, throwing her arms around Rei's neck. The force of the hug caused Rei to topple over and Minako went with her, kissing the raven haired woman over and over.

"Minako... Dammit, Minako, get off me!"

"Never!"

Usagi laughed and Mamoru chuckled. Ami blushed. She had had a boyfriend before, her first year of college actually, but never had they done something so... public. Ami would rarely admit to herself, let alone anyone else, that she was sometimes jealous of couples who could be so openly affectionate with one another. It had been something she had struggled with while she had dated. Holding hands had been difficult but kissing...

Ami looked over at the couple rolling around in the sand, shook her head and went back to her book.

Ami tuned out the mostly mindless gossip after Minako decided to finally get off her girlfriend to go back to people watching. It was the blond's squeal that made her look up from the book.

"Oh, now he is hot!"

Minako pointed towards a young man who appeared to be a few years older than they were now. His skin tan and his arms were covered in tattoos, with a few in other places on his body as well, a few peeking out from the waistband of his swim trunks. From what could be seen beneath his black beanie, he had brown hair and long sideburns. He needed a shave, Ami thought, but he wasn't unattractive. His eyes were hidden beneath dark sunglasses. He carried a folded towel over one arm and a medium sized cooler in the other hand. His skin was a little pink and one could tell he had been there a while.

"Aw, it looks like he's leaving," Minako whined.

"Which is something we should do," Rei commented. "We've been here all day."

"But we're having fun," Minako whined. "What else could we do?"

A shadow crossed over the group and five pairs of eyes looked up to see the tattooed young man smiling down at them. "Hi!" He raised his glasses from his face, revealing dark blue eyes.

Minako's eyes lidded and she smiled up at him. "Hello, yourself," she said, her voice husky. Rei groaned with an eye roll. Usagi giggled.

The man laughed and squatted before them. "The name's Shinozaki. Are you ladies doing anything later?"

Minako smiled and shook her head. "We were just discussing that before you came over."

Shinozaki chuckled. "Well, if you're looking for a party, I happen to be hosting one in a few hours. You're more than welcome to come to it." His dark eyes glanced around the small group with a smile. "All of you."

"Well," Minako said with a hair flip, "Where is the party? We can't just go to any party."

"Minako-chan," Usagi hissed.

Shinozaki laughed. "It's okay." He lifted his left arm and pointed toward a small seaside cliff. The girls and Mamoru all followed his hand to see a modern home sitting perched atop a cliff and surrounded by palm trees and jutting rocks. The greenery around the house looked lush even from where the group sat.

"It's there," Shinozaki said.

Minako's eyes widened in appreciation. "Looks very nice," she said, the others nodding in agreement. Then she turned to him and smiled. "We'll be there!"

Shinozaki gave a large smile. "Excellent!"


	3. Conversations in the Dark

Though the house was quite visible from the beach, the road up to the house was a different matter. The trip took a good twenty minutes and left the main road. When the group arrived, they saw the party was well under way. There were so many people that the party had flooded out into the yard.

The house was three levels. The ground level was nothing more than a room, really, with stairs that led up to what consisted of the main floor of the home. There was a deck that wrapped around the second tier of the house and through the large panes of glass, the Ami could see bodies pressed together as they danced. She saw no open windows but the music was loud enough to easily be heard outside.

The group exited the car and made their way to the glass door leading into the home of their new friend. The closer they got to the house, they could hear splashing and laughter just around the corner and realized the house boasted a pool as well.

They passed several people on the way inside the house and Ami felt so out of her depth, she considered leaving. There were just too many people, loud people, that her comfort level had not only been reached, it was now light years away. She moved closer to her friends and Usagi must have sensed her friend's discomfort, for she reached for the bluenette's hand and gave it a squeeze. Ami looked to her friend and saw the blond smile at her.

They pushed past other party goers and made their way up the stairs. The music was even louder than Ami had expected and it hurt her ears a bit. She looked around the room and realized that's really all it was. The house, or this floor, was an open floor plan. To one side, Ami saw a kitchen, separated from the rest of the room by a bar top. The kitchen sat to the left of the floor plan and to the right were a flight of stairs leading upstairs. To the right the stairs was a glass door, leading out to the deck Ami had seen from the outside.

The middle of the room hosted a stand alone mock fireplace with a tv mounted above it with a couch opposite of that, a love seat to the right and a chair to the left. In the opposite corner of the room was a bar and several people were leaning against it, waiting for drinks to be made. Ami wondered if the mixologist was a professional or a friend of their host. Beside the bar was another set of stairs, leading up to a large landing. Though dark, Ami could see people sitting on a plush bench wrapping around the wall and watching TV. How they could hear anything over the music, Ami didn't know. The rest of the floor was crowded with people dancing and Ami wondered how so many people could be crammed into one place.

"Hey, you made it," came an excited voice.

The group turned to see Shinozaki making his way toward them through the throng of people, a beer bottle in his hand. He wore dark green khaki shorts and a muscle shirt that hugged his figure nicely. His beanie hat, which Ami suspected was his trademark, was still firmly atop his head. He smiled warmly at them all. "Any trouble finding the place?"

"None at all," Minako replied. "Though your house location is deceptive. We didn't realize it was so far off the road."

Shinozaki laughed and blushed a bit, looking chagrined and scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Sorry, I tend to forget. Most poeple know to get here so I forget sometimes there are people new to town who don't."

"Well," Minako began, "Get us drinks and we'll call it even."

Shinozaki laughed at Minako's brazenness, charmed by it even. But before he could reply, a slightly annoyed voice cut through their conversation.

"Who the hell are all these people in my house, Onii-chan?!"

The group turned to see a tall, slightly annoyed, woman with russet hair in a pony tail come up the stairs and stare at the people around the open floor. She wore a black karate gi and it appeared well worn and faded, as well as the black belt around her waist. She carried a small duffel bag on her shoulder and her face was slightly flushed. Her green eyes finally found Shinozaki and they narrowed at the young man.

Ami felt her heart flutter. The woman came to stand beside her as she continued to glare at their host. She was tall and Ami could see the woman was broad beneath that loose fitting jacket and pants and, briefly, wondered at the strength in the body beside her. She also wondered why her mouth had suddenly gone dry and why her heart rate had spiked.

Shinozaki only smirked at his annoyed friend. "Excuse me, your house?" He chuckled and raised the beer bottle to his lips only to have it snatched from his hand mid-sip.

"She who cleans it," the woman said, snatching the bottle from him, "keeps it." She took a sip from the bottle before Shinozaki could claim it back.

"Haven't you heard a man's home is his castle," he remarked, raising the reclaimed bottle to his lips. Once again, the bottle was snatched away before her could take a proper drink from it.

"You don't have a castle, that's why you're sleeping here," the woman snarked, taking another victory drink. She smirked at him over the bottle.

The group of friends were unsure how to respond to the display before them. It seemed similar to how they would act towards one another but at the same, it was very antagonistic. Shinozaki pouted for a moment before laughing.

"Have you met my new friends, Koto," Shinozaki asked, motioning towards the girls and Mamoru. The group made their introductions and the brunette took them all in. Ami flushed when those piercing green eyes lingered on her the longest. Was that a hint of a smile Ami saw?

"Kino Makoto," was the brunette's reply. She passed the beer bottle back to Shinozaki, their game now done. "I wish you had told me we were having a party, Zaki, I would have showered at the dojo."

"That's what you get for not knowing better," he replied with a smirk.

Makoto huffed. "Well, I'm going to go do so now. I'll be back in a bit." Makoto's eyes fell to Ami again before she moved past them and into the crowd. Ami tuned out the conversation that had started up as Makoto walked away and watched the brunette disappear. Her blue eyes found the woman a moment later, climbing the stairs that led up to the landing with the tv. She disappeared through a door Ami hadn't noticed before due to the darkness.

Ami was pulled away from her thoughts when she felt a hand tugging on her own.

"Come on, Ami-chan," Minako said happily, dragging her toward the bar. Ami noticed the others had begun to make their way to it without prompting from the blond. "Let's get a drink!"

* * *

Ami didn't drink, despite Minako's attempts at shoving drinks into her hand. She had a bottle of water at some point but Minako had been able to get it away from her in an attempt to get Ami to drink. Ami hadn't bothered to get another one.

Ami sat at the bar, turned so she could watch her friends dance with each other. Minako seemed to be dancing with anyone who remotely looked in her direction and eventually Rei had made her way to the bar as well, standing beside the bluenette.

"Does it bother you," Ami asked, just loud enough to be heard over the music.

Rei shook her head, taking a sip of her fruity mixed drink. "No, not any more. I realize it's just how Minako is. She likes to be the center of attention."

Ami nodded as she folded her arms over the back of the stool and rested her chip atop them. "She hasn't changed much since we were kids."

"And I suspect she will never change," Rei said in agreement. "But I wouldn't want her any other way." Rei smiled at Ami before moving towards her girlfriend. The raven haired woman easily pulled Minako away from her current dance partner.

Ami smiled at that. She had met a few other people that Minako had dated. Though not one to be unloyal, Minako loved to flirt and have people fawn over her. Her previous partners had a problem with it and attempted to keep Minako from 'wandering.' The end was always the same: a depressed Minako and a relationship that had ended. Ami was happy to see that, maybe, Minako had found what she needed in Rei; a loving partner who understood her and trusted her enough to not betray what they had.

Ami felt a pang in her chest and suddenly found herself lonely. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she felt jealous of Usagi and Minako at times. They seemed to have so many of things she wanted and felt she couldn't have; a loving family that was actually there for each other and significant others who loved them. Ami had such a hard time relating to people, she wondered if she could ever have what her friends did.

"You look so sad," came a voice beside her. Ami startled and turned to see Shinozaki smiling at her over his shoulder, waiting for his drink to be made. "You okay?"

Ami smiled. "I'm fine, thank you for asking."

The young man gave her a crooked grin and turned to watch the bodies moving together in time with the music. "Don't you dance," he asked casually.

Ami shrugged. "No one's asked me." Something she was glad for. If what displayed before her was considered dancing, she wasn't sure she wanted to participate.

"Let's change that, then," he replied. He downed his newly acquired drink and placed the empty glass on the bar top. He grabbed Ami's hand and gently tugged her off the bar stool. "Come on!"

Ami blushed as she was pulled over to where everyone else was dancing. "I didn't mean- I wasn't asking- uh..." Ami stuttered over her protest as her new friend pulled her onto the makeshift dance floor.

"We won't do what they're doing," he said, turning to face the bluenette. Shinozaki smiled at her kindly and lightly held her hands in his. He moved closer to her, though kept enough room between them that a third person could have easily slipped between them. Shinozaki moved with the music though did nothing more than sway back and forth to the music and guided Ami to do the same, nothing sexual in their movements.

After a moment, Ami relaxed and smiled, though she felt her face was still burning. Shinozaki released her hands but they stayed close as they danced. He continued to smile at Ami kindly, even making her laugh when he began to sing, horribly, to the pop song currently blasting through the speakers. What made it so funny was the pop singer was female and Shinozaki began acting as if he was the singer, batting his eyes and exaggerating his body movements to appear overly effeminate as he acted out the lyrics.

As the song changed, Ami stepped away from her dance partner and smiled up at him. "Thank you for the dance, Shinizaki-san," she said, with a small bow.

He smiled and waved his hand. "No need to be so formal. Besides, it was my pleasure. Hope to do it again," he replied honestly.

Ami found her smile growing. "I would like that."

Shinozaki smiled again before moving on to find another dance partner. Ami stood quietly for a moment before realizing she was standing in the middle of a group of gyrating people. Ami flushed and attempted to make her way back to a secluded corner but didn't have the confidence to push past the wall of people.

The music changed again and this song contained a hard percussional beat. Ami felt the floor beneath her feet shake a bit as the dancers around her stomped in time with it.

"I'm so proud of you, Ami-chan!"

Ami blinked and turned to see Usagi beside her. "Why, Usagi-chan," Ami asked.

"You danced with someone and didn't pass out," Usagi said with a wide smile.

Ami's face fell in annoyance. "Thanks," she said flatly. The bluenette looked around and then asked, "Where's Mamoru-san?"

"Getting us drinks," Usagi said. "Where did Shinozaki-san go?"

"To get another dance partner," Ami replied. When Usagi's face fell, Ami smiled kindly at her. "It was just a friendly dance, Usagi-chan." Ami's smile slipped a bit. "He probably just felt pity for me."

"Ami-chan," Usagi said sadly, but wasn't sure what to say to her friend.

Movement out of the corner of Ami's eye caught her attention. She turned and saw Shinozaki's friend Makoto. Hair still damp from her shower, the woman wore faded jeans and a v-neck tee shirt, both hugging her body comfortably and offering a pleasant view. The woman's arms were raised slightly above her head, her hips swaying to the music, and her eyes closed.

A hand crept over Makoto's hip, coming to a rest on her lower stomach and it was then that Ami realized the brunette was dancing with someone. The man held Makoto possessively against him but the bluenette felt that if Makoto didn't want him touching her, he wouldn't be. Their bodies moved together, nearly grinding to the music.

Ami stared, unable to move at the display before her. Makoto's hips moving in such a way that, for an instant, the younger woman wondered what it would be like to have that body against her own, the taller woman's hands on her body like the ones on the brunette's body.

Her throat dry as she swallowed hard, Ami's heart hammered in her chest as she let her eyes wander over the frame of the brunette. She felt her face flame when Makoto's eyes opened and connected with hers, a small smile on those lush lips.

"Ack, Ami-chan," came Usagi's shrill voice beside her. "Are you alright?! Your nose is bleeding!"

* * *

After assuring her friends she was, in fact, alright, Ami had moved out onto the deck to be alone for a while. It was quiet out here, though she could still hear the thump thump of the music inside. She could also hear the laughter of the people who had stumbled downstairs and outside. She sat on the wooden three seater bench and looked out over the hill side to the beach she and her friends had been at just a a few hours ago.

Her mind began to rush around in a frenzy and after a long moment, Ami removed her smart phone from her pocket. The thoughts that seemed to be rushing around in her head were of the brunette and for the life of her, Ami couldn't figure out why. She wasn't gay herself she reasoned, so why had the moment the brunette showed up had her heart begun to beat wildly? And then that dance , their eyes connecting, and Ami's fingers twitching with the want of touching those hips...

Ami coughed as she flipped through the apps on her phone. She finally located what she wanted, an old favorite book she had downloaded so she could read if she had nothing else to do. And while her mind had plenty to focus on, Ami currently did not want to dwell on those thoughts, least of all in a public place.

As she scrolled through the digital pages of her book, Ami registered the deck doors opening and closing beside her but didn't look up, too engrossed in her book. She did stop reading however, when she felt a presence beside her.

"Mizuno-san, right,"came a smooth voice above her. "Somehow, I just don't see you as the facebook type."

Startled, Ami jumped lightly in her seat, clutching the phone to her chest and glanced up. Makoto stood beside her, beer in her hand, with a broad grin on her face.

Ami blushed at the presence of the woman. "I- uh...I wasn't on facebook," Ami said, stuttering slightly. "I was reading."

Makoto's smiled widened a bit. "I see." The brunette motioned toward the opposite end of the bench. "Can I sit down and join you?"

Ami blinked, her face becoming warmer. "Uh, sure."

Makoto smiled brightly at her and moved to the opposite end of the bench to take a seat. "So, how long are you in town for," Makoto asked before taking a sip of her beer.

Ami smiled. "Two weeks. My friends and I arrived today."

Makoto nodded. "What hotel are you guys staying at? Hopefully one of the good ones."

Ami chuckled. "No hotel. My friend's girlfriend has a house here. Well, it's her father's, but he gave us permission to use it. According to Rei-san, her father doesn't use it often."

"So what made you guys come here?"

"I didn't have a say in the matter," Ami replied with a smile. "I think the main reason was that it's the beach and we have free accommodations."

Makoto laughed. "I would have picked here, too, for that reason." She took another drink, tilting her head back slightly to finish off the bottle and then smiled at Ami. "So, if you had had a say in the matter, where would you have gone?"

Ami shrugged. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I would have been just fine staying at home and studying. As it is, I'll be two weeks behind on my summer studies as I have been forbidden from doing homework while here." Ami looked a bit annoyed about the prospect and Makoto chuckled.

"College courses," Makoto asked and Ami nodded. "What are you majoring in?"

"You're being awful nosy," Ami observed with a smile.

Makoto's eyes widened a bit and she blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be. I just wanted to get to know you a little better." She scratched the back of her head and looked away before standing.

"I'm sorry," Ami immediately said. "I was only teasing. You don't have... to... " She trailed off and sighed.  _Ami 'Socially Inept' Mizuno strikes again_ , she thought.

Makoto gave a small, grateful smile and waved her empty beer bottle. "I'm going to go grab another drink. Would you like anything while I'm in there?"

Ami smiled and nodded. "A water would nice, thank you."

Makoto's smile grew before she walked back inside. A moment later, Minako popped outside.

"So this is where you've been hiding," the blond exclaimed, a drink in her hand.

"I haven't been hiding," Ami protested. "You knew I was out here."

"You've been out here a while," Minako countered. She turned and looked inside for a moment before turning back to Ami, a wide grin on her face. "Making new friends, huh?"

Ami blushed. "Kino-san is very nice," she replied.

"Not bad on the eyes, either," Minako responded.

"I guess," Ami said. "But I'm not g-"

"You're not gay," Minako said, cutting Ami off. " _Right_." Minako gave Ami a 'I know something you don't know' smile just as the door to the deck opened. Makoto stepped through, confused by the blond speaking to Ami. Minako smiled at Makoto before shoving the drink she held into Ami's hands. "I'll talk to you later," Minako said with a wink. She smiled up at Makoto again before disappearing back into the house.

Makoto stood there, a bottle of beer in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, blinking at the backside of the blond. She looked back to Ami with a raised eyebrow and gave a confused chuckle. "Okay?"

Ami smiled up at Makoto before closing her eyes and sighing. Without thinking, she raised the glass to her lips but stopped when her lips brushed against something soft. Ami opened her eyes and blushed as she realized her lips were resting against Makoto's skin; the brunette had covered the top of the glass with her hand. Ami caught sight of Makoto's other hand which now held both bottles.

"Not to sound bossy, but you probably shouldn't accept drinks from strangers," Makoto said, gently taking the glass from Ami and setting it on the railing behind her. She turned and gave Ami the water bottle, who, still blushing, smiled up from her seat.

"But you just gave me one," Ami said. She waved the bottle at the brunette playfully. "Should I not accept it?"

Makoto smirked down at her, placed her hand on the lid of the bottle and gave it a twist. Several plastic pops were heard as the bottle was freshly opened. "You shouldn't accept open drinks from strangers."

Ami hung her head with a smile before glancing back up at Makoto. "Thank you for trying to keep me safe. But that wasn't a stranger." Then Ami giggled and Makoto smiled at the sound of it. "Even though she is strange. That was Minako-chan. You met her when came home and yelled at your brother for having so many people over."

"Oh yeah," Makoto said with a nod. "It was dark, I couldn't really see her too well to remember her," the brunette elaborated before raising the beer to her lips.

Ami smiled and felt her face burn once again as she watched Makoto drink. "But you remembered me."

It wasn't a question and a part of Ami delighted in the fact Makoto blushed. Makoto's only response was to lower her beer bottle and to look at Ami and smile, her green eyes twinkling. Ami smiled back, her heart thudding in her chest before taking a sip of water.

The two women sat and talked, getting to know one another better. Ami learned Makoto co-owned the dojo she had been speaking of earlier, the other owner being her sensei; and Makoto learned, and was amazed, to find Ami had just passed her fourth year of med school and wanted to open her own family practice.

As the night wore on and the two women spoke, Ami had become more and more relaxed in the taller woman's company. At some point in their conversation, Makoto had moved closer to Ami and had begun to lightly play with the strands of hair at Ami's temple while speaking to her. Ami had startled at first and Makoto had intially pulled away with an apology. But Ami had smiled at her and had given Makoto the okay to continue, if she wanted to. A shiver went through Ami when Makoto raised her hand and fingered the short blue strands once again.

A knocking on the window behind them jolted them apart. They turned to see Minako, face flushed from her drinking no doubt and eyes wide from the scene before her, pointing back into the room. She mouthed the word LEAVING and Ami nodded in understand. Minako nodded too, her eyes dancing between the two women before walking away from the window.

"I guess I should get going," Ami said as she stood.

Makoto stood as well, a bit wobbly from her own alcohol intake, and smiled at Ami. "I hope you had fun tonight, Mizuno-san," Makoto said quietly.

Ami smiled and nodded. "I did. I hope to see you again, Kino-san."

Makoto's smile grew. "I'll be sure to pester my brother for another party to invite you to."

Ami's perpetually red face grew hotter as she turned toward the door. "Good night, Kino-san," the smaller woman said softly before disappearing inside.

Makoto walked to the railing of the deck and looked down into the front of her home. A moment later, a group of people stumbled out into the lawn with Ami in tow. A dark haired woman gave Ami something, presumably her car keys and everyone climbed into the car.

As Ami moved to the driver's side, she turned and looked up at the second floor deck. She smiled and waved and Makoto felt herself grinning widely as she returned it and then watched as Ami herself got into the car and drove away a moment later.

* * *

 

_AN: I stole Makoto's and Shinozaki's banter from the show Roseanne. I also think I made Minako a bit pushy as well. Oops. Hope you enjoy it! Back with more, soon!_


	4. Up All Night For Good Fun

"Fancy seeing you here."

Ami felt her face flush, and she barely contained the smile she felt wanting to form on her face. But her eyes shone with it and Ami felt her chest tighten when she saw Makoto flash her a bright smile.

After waking that morning and enduring some ribbing from the twins (mostly Minako) about who Ami had gotten close to the night before, she had been dragged out of the senator's house by her best friends, she and their significant others in tow with no choice in where they went with the sole exception that the beach wasn't an option.

So the twins had gone shopping instead. While they didn't hit the sand, the girls did drag the other three along the boardwalk to visit the various shoppes they had seen the day before though had not visited. Though usually envious of her friends and their love lives, Ami had been thankful she was currently single when it was made clear Usagi and Minako were using Mamoru and Rei as pack mules for their purchases.

Hours passed and the group eventually found themselves in town for a quick lunch and more shopping and sight seeing. It was then that Ami had broken off from her friends; she had found a bookstore while the twins and their dates headed for the arcade across the street. Mamoru and Rei had almost come with Ami, but last minute had stayed with their girlfriends in order to do damage control should they get into trouble.

So Ami had perused through the small bookstore, purchasing a few books for some light reading before bed. Something the twins always teased her about, but Ami loved and would not give up her romance novels.

Ami saw her friends were still in the arcade, the large windows of the store front giving her an excellent view inside. She had contemplated going over to join them, but the bookstore hosted small bistro tables outside its doors. It was a nice day, Ami thought, and had decided to enjoy one of her newly acquired books instead while waiting for her friends to spend their change.

After some time, Ami caught something shimmering from the corner of her eye. She turned toward it and realized it was a door being opened from the business next door to the bookstore. Ami watched as several children, not much older than ten and dressed in white karate gis, pour out the door. One child, a little boy, nearly collided with a passerby. The next moment, a tall woman with dark auburn hair in a ponytail and wearing a black gi stepped outside to chastise the boy.

"Be more careful," she called out, her voice booming on the quiet street.

"Sorry, sensei," the boy said, stopping to bow to his teacher before taking off after his friends again.

The woman sighed and turned to go back inside when she felt eyes on her. She turned and her face split into a wide smile, green eyes sparkling in recognition.

"Mizuno-san," Makoto said happily. "Fancy seeing you here."

Ami's heart fluttered at Makoto's husky voice. Makoto's face was red and Ami saw sweat trailing down the woman's face and neck. The sight made images dance in Ami's mind and the bluenette coughed, hoping to hide her thoughts. The smaller woman stood, placing her new book back inside the bag as she came to stand beside the taller woman. "Hello, Kino-san. How are you today?"

Makoto's face hurt, she was smiling so hard. "I'm good. I didn't realize a good day could get better." She motioned at Ami with her hand. "But, here you are."

Ami blushed, her eyes falling to the ground as she toed at a pebble beside her feet. The grin she had been trying to hold back since seeing Makoto step in front of her unexpectedly slowly spread across her face. She nibbled her lip shyly and Makoto's wide smile softened.

"You can call me Makoto, if you want," the brunette offered. "Assuming I'm not being too forward?"

Ami shook her head. "Of course not, Makoto-chan." Her blue eyes looked up at Makoto. "You may call me Ami, if you like."

"Ami-chan," Makoto said softly. Ami's smile grew at hearing her name from Makoto.

The pair stood quietly for a moment, just taking the other in. Ami wondered briefly why the person before her affected her so much. The Amazon was obviously attractive and if the party last night was indication, Makoto could have her pick of, really, anyone. But as dense as she felt she was when it came to matters of the heart, Ami had noticed Makoto had taken a liking to her the moment they had met.

Ami couldn't figure out why that made her so happy. She didn't know Makoto. Not very well. But to see those green eyes light up when the brunette smiled...

"Ami-chan!"

The duo turned to look across the street as Usagi and Minako, Mamoru and Rei standing beside them, and waved at them through the traffic. Ami smiled and waved back to her friends and Makoto raised a hand in greeting though she herself had not been addressed.

"Sensei!"

Makoto turned to look back into the door she had been leaning on and saw a few of her older students smiling at her, having caught a glimpse of Ami. Makoto rolled her eyes at their playful snickering and released the door, allowing it to shut and cut off the laughter inside the dojo. "They will be doing extra push ups today," she mumbled and Ami giggled. Makoto smiled at Ami again, her face flushing from something other than exercise.

"I was wondering, Ami-chan, if you don't have plans for dinner," Makoto trailed off, scratching the back of her head nervously. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I'd like to have dinner with you, if you're not busy tonight?"

Ami shook her head, grinning again. "I'm not busy. And dinner sounds great."

Makoto's eyes lit up. "Yeah? Great! I still have a few classes left so I won't be finished for a few hours yet. Why don't I pick you up when I'm finished?"

"That sounds fine," Ami agreed. "Can I have your number," she asked, blushing bright red again. She had never asked for anyone's number before, had always been too nervous for it. But the words had slipped right out and she briefly wondered why it had been so difficult in the before.

Shrugging that thought off, Ami added, "So I know when to be on the lookout for you. I'll give you mine as well."

Makoto's grin managed to widen as she recited her number, the smaller woman adding it to her phone. "Text me," Makoto said, "So I can have yours. I should be done in a few hours, but with these brats, you never know." Though her words seemed unkind, Ami could hear the affection Makoto held for her students.

Ami did so quickly before looking up back up to the Amazon with a smile. "We should both get going. Should I dress a certain way?"

Makoto shook her head. "Casual is fine since I planned on just making dinner myself. But, if you want to, bring your swimsuit. Maybe we can go for a swim after supper?"

Ami's eyes lit up. "Sounds like a plan!"

Makoto smiled and heard a crash inside the dojo and groaned. "I gotta go! I'll call when I'm on my way." Makoto quickly jerked the door open and stepped inside. As the door shut, Ami giggled when she heard Makoto's voice boom, "Oi! Push ups, one hundred of them, let's go!"

* * *

Even though Makoto had called, Ami nearly tripped over herself to answer the door to greet her friend. She had expected Makoto to still be wearing her black gi as the Amazon had said she would be coming from the dojo. So when Ami opened the door and saw the brunette wearing a white peasant shirt with a wide collar that showed her collarbone and the nape of her neck, a light green voile skirt that stopped at the ankles, and flat sandals, she couldn't help but stare. Makoto's hair was damp and back in its custom ponytail and when Makoto smiled at her, Ami felt her heart give a little  _thump._  She couldn't help but feel dull in her tee-shirt with a thin hoodie, jean capris, and low sneakers.

"Hi, Ami-chan," Makoto said. "Ready to go?"

Ami smiled and nodded but before she could verbally respond, Minako and Usagi popped around the corner.

"Going on your date," Minako asked in a slightly high pitched voice, a sly grin on her face as she smiled at Ami.

Usagi wore a look very similar to Minako's and echoed, "Date?"

Makoto's eyebrows raised in surprise while a smile of amusement graced her features. Ami, blushing, whirled on her friends, eyes narrowed. "If I have to say again it isn't a date, I'm throwing a book at you!"

The twins giggled darkly until their respective significant others called for them from the other room to leave Ami alone. They reluctantly moved around the corner and from sight and Ami turned back to Makoto, her face still red.

Makoto shrugged, still smiling. "I'm not worried about it. Ready to go," Makoto asked.

Ami grabbed her small bag from the hook by the door, having put it there after getting her things together for the evening, and walked outside to join the brunette. Ami closed the door before following Makoto down the porch steps and to her car. Ami was surprised to see Makoto driving a pickup truck.

"A truck," Ami asked. Though she wasn't sure why she was surprised.

Makoto shrugged. She and Ami climbed into the cabin and Makoto started the truck. Ami noticed a small grocery bag sitting between them on the seat. "A graduation gift from Onii-chan's parents when I graduated high school." Makoto smiled over at Ami as she buckled her seat belt. "He got a motorcycle."

Ami smiled, picturing Shinozaki with a motorcycle. It seemed to suit him. But the words Makoto had used to describe the situation failed to get past Ami:  _his_  parents? Not  _their_  parents?

"So," Makoto began, "You're staying at Senator Hino's summer house?" She gave Ami an impressed smile as she drove down the long winding driveway from the elegant building. She turned onto the main road a moment later and the two were on their way to Makoto's home.

Ami laughed. "Yes. Rei-san is his daughter and he granted us permission to use the house."

"Hence the free accommodations," Makoto said, repeating what Ami had mentioned the night before.

Ami blushed but smiled. "You remembered that?"

"I wasn't that drunk," Makoto said with a small giggle. "I was very content last night. No hangover this morning, thank you very much, Mizuno-sensei," Makoto said in a teasing tone.

Ami giggled, glancing out the window for a moment, watching the scenery pass by. The rest of the short drive was done in silence, until Makoto turned from the main road to the long dirt road leading up to her home. Several minutes later, Makoto pulled into the garage and she and Ami climbed out of the truck with her bag, Makoto grabbing the small bag of groceries as she did so.

As they made their way into the house, Ami asked, "Will Shinozaki-san be joining us?"

"Doubt it," Makoto said as she unlocked the front door. "He's out with a few of his friends and there's just no telling what kind of mischief he's getting into."

Ami smiled and walked ahead of the brunette, who had held the door open for her. Now that it was daytime, Ami looked around the small room with the stair case that led to the main floor above and realized there was a plush bench along the opposite wall. There were two more sets of doors, one leading right to the pool, the other left to a picnic table and grill.

"We're too lazy to walk around the house," Makoto said with a smile as she led the way upstairs.

Ami giggled as she followed Makoto up the stairs. With the crowd of party goers gone, the house seemed so much more bigger than it did the night before. To Ami, it seemed a bit... lonely.

Makoto made her way to the kitchen and set the bag of groceries down on the counter while Ami took a seat on one of the bar stools on the opposite side. Makoto began pulling food from the bag, arranging them on the counter.

"So, what's for dinner," Ami asked, setting her bag on the stool beside her.

"Grilled chicken and salad," Makoto responded, turning the gas range on to preheat. She peeked over her shoulder at Ami and asked, "If that's alright?"

Ami nodded with a smile and Makoto returned it. The brunette reached for an apron and Ami watched as Makoto, after washing her hands, took the chicken from its packaging and began to trim the fat with a knife. With that done, Makoto checked the grill and finding it hot, laid the chicken onto it. The sizzle and smell of meat filled the small area and Makoto smiled.

Ami smiled as well as she watched Makoto turn to prepare the salad; shredding lettuce and carrots, slicing cucumber, and grating cheese. After mixing the veggies into a bowl, Makoto looked up at Ami. "What would you like to drink?"

"Water is fine," the bluenette replied.

Makoto nodded once and, after flipping the chicken on the grill, set about getting her guest a glass of water. A few moments later with the chicken done, Makoto shut off the stove and placed the chicken on a cutting board. Allowing the chicken to cool for a moment, the brunette then scooped the salad she had made earlier into bowls for her and Ami. Makoto then turned back to the chicken, cutting the meat into strips and adding them to the salad bowls. She set one before Ami and one beside her, Makoto marking her place at the end of the bart op. Turning and reaching into the fridge, Makoto pulled out a couple different bottles of salad dressing. She smiled at Ami and shook both of them, a questioning look on her face.

"Ranch, please," Ami replied.

"Ranch it is," Makoto said, setting the bottle down before placing the other back into the fridge. She then retrieved two forks from a drawer and finally sat beside Ami with a smile. "Here you go," Makoto said with a smile, handing Ami one of the forks.

" _Itadakimasu_ ," Ami said as she took the utensil from the Amazon, her thin fingers brushing along Makoto's. The brunette smiled, with a hint of blush, but said nothing as she began her meal with Ami doing the same.

While they ate, Ami could feel a tension beginning to rise between them and her heart hammered because of it. It seemed as if there was anticipation in air and it made Ami slightly nervous. But what surprised her was that she didn't mind it. She was anxious, true, but she could feel it wasn't really anxiety that was affecting her; it was excitement. Ami felt excited every time Makoto flashed her a smile.

_Like she is right now._

Then Makoto's smile slipped and she looked past Ami to the large windows that looked out over the front of the house and the road leading to it. Ami turned to look out the window as well and noticed several cars pulling up to the house.

"You have got to be kidding me," Makoto grumbled. She slid of her seat just as Ami heard the door open downstairs. Makoto moved to the stairs as several people began to file up them. Makoto looked genuinely angry when she caught Shinozaki's attention.

"Hey, Koto," he said brightly, greeting his sister. When he caught the look on her face, however, he seemed to shrink in on himself. Movement behind the brunette caught his attention and he saw Ami sitting at the counter. His blue eyes moved back to Makoto as her eyes narrowed. "Oh."

Makoto crossed her arms as she continued to glare at her brother. "You're having another party?"

"It's Saturday," Shinozaki remarked over the loud music now blasting from the corner, "We always have parties on Saturdays! I didn't know you had a date here tonight."

"It's not a date," Ami called from over her shoulder.

The siblings turned to the bluenette and Shinozaki looked at her before turning his gaze back to Makoto. " _Riiiight._ "

"I'm going to stick your head in the deep fryer," Makoto threatened.

"We don't have a deep fryer," Shinozaki said with smirk.

"I am going to go out, buy a deep fryer, bring it home, fill it with oil, heat it up, make up a lovely breading for your face and  _then_  deep fry your head!"

Shinozaki laughed. He leaned close to his sister and whispered, "You must really like her."

Makoto flushed before turning and heading back towards Ami. The bluenette began to look outwardly uncomfortable as the house began to fill up with people. Makoto came to a stop beside her with an apologetic look on her features.

"I'm sorry," she said. "He's right, I should have known better. Do you want me to take you home?"

Ami looked around once more before her eyes fell on Makoto again. "I'd rather stay, actually."

Makoto's face lit up. "Yeah? Great!" Her green eyes caught what was left of their meal and she blushed. "Let me just clean up real quick."

Ami nodded and moved to help the brunette in the kitchen. Together, they quickly made short work of packing away the food and cleaning the counters. Makoto put their dirty dishes in the dish washer, leaving it for now.

Though the plan had been to go swimming, with so many people around in such a confined space, Ami didn't feel comfortable donning her swimsuit now. Makoto understood and didn't press it. The Amazon was surprised, though, when Ami led her to the 'dance floor.' Makoto didn't complain as she and Ami began to dance, happy to be so close to the younger woman.

As the night wore on, more and more people began to show up and crowd into the house. The dancers pressed together but Makoto did her best to keep space between her and Ami, knowing the smaller woman wouldn't appreciate her personal bubble being invaded so intimately.

As they danced, Ami moved and leaned up to Makoto's ear and said just loud enough over the music, "Where's your bathroom?"

Makoto shivered as Ami's breath teased her ear. When Ami pulled away, Makoto pointed toward the door that led out to the balcony where they had met the night before. "It's over there, by the door leading outside."

Ami nodded and looked back towards Makoto with a smile. "Thanks!"

The bluenette turned but only took one step before someone bumped into her in their rush across the house. The person, a man with a hand over his mouth, fumbled his way to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him after entering.

Makoto and Ami stood there blinking before Makoto said, "Guess someone is partying a little too hard."

Ami tried to giggle, though she looked sick herself.

"You can use my bathroom," Makoto offered. Ami turned to the brunette as she nodded towards the stairs at the back of the house. "Just up the stairs."

"Thank you," Ami said shyly, making her way through the crowd and up the stairs. There were no people sitting up here like the night before she noticed as she opened the bedroom door and stepped inside.

Closing the door, Ami reached for the light switch she hoped was beside the door. Finding it, she flipped the light on and took in Makoto's bedroom. Ami took the room in and realized it was more than just a place for the Amazon to sleep.

The room was large and looked more like a mini-loft apartment than a simple bedroom. Along the wall to Ami's left were two low dressers, no doubt full of the brunette's clothes; the corner had two lounge chairs with a table between them; the wall across from her was actually one long pane of glass and looked out over the coast; there was a desk that faced the window so whoever sat at it could look out over the water; along the farthest wall were several large bookshelves filled to the brim with books; and to Ami's immediate left was Makoto's bed: a large wooden frame that held the mattress and box springs with a green comforter cast over it with a nightstand placed on either side.

Ami swallowed at the bed and, her heart thundering in her chest and ears burning, moved over to the door she had seen by the bookshelves, hoping it to be the bathroom and it was. Several moments later she stepped out, feeling relieved, and as she made her way back to the bedroom door, stopped. She turned toward the window instead, taking in the view laid out before her.

The coast was dark, though the hills behind them lit up in rainbow colors from the city. The water was dark and calm and Ami saw the palm trees sway a bit as the wind blew. Ami could almost feel the warm breeze from inside the house.

Ami's eyes took in the scenery before her and she felt a contentment she hadn't felt before settle in her chest. It was peaceful here and she knew she would miss it when she did leave. She startled a bit when she heard the bedroom door shut and the light shut off. She turned to see Makoto making her way toward her with a smile. "It's a better view with the light off," she said as she made her way to Ami.

"You've been gone a while," Makoto explained after a moment of standing with Ami in silence. "Wanted to make sure you were alright."

Ami smiled and turned back to look out over the water again. "I'm fine. I got distracted by the beautiful view you have."

Makoto smirked. "You should see it when the sun sets. Everything glitters. It looks like gold."

Ami smiled and let her gaze linger a moment longer, her eyes moving over the waters once more before smiling up at the brunette. "Thank you for-"

Ami's words were cut short as a pair of soft, warm lips pressed against hers. She felt the light tickle of fingertips along her jaw and she shivered at the touch, her eyes fluttering shut as the rest of her refused to move.

The kiss ended and Ami's eyes slowly opened. She felt dazed and she felt a blush scorch across her face. Her eyes settled onto Makoto's and the brunette waited to see what Ami would do. Ami's breathing came in soft pants as she stared in Makoto's waiting face. Time had seemed to stopped for her.

And then Ami found herself pushing forward, pressing her lips back against Makoto's. The taller woman's hands grasped Ami's face fully as she pushed back into that wonderful mouth against her own. Lips parted and tongues tasted one another, Ami's hands moving to grip Makoto at her waist.

Ami couldn't be sure later whether she was being pulled or she herself was doing the pushing, but she soon found herself on Makoto's bed with the taller woman beneath her, their kiss never breaking for more than a few seconds for air. Ami felt Makoto's broad hands, one at her back and the other on her shoulder, pressing into her and holding her close. Makoto herself pressed up into Ami and Ami sighed into her mouth at the contact of their breasts pressing against one another.

Without much thought, Ami's hand that been on the bed to catch her weight when they had fallen moved to Makoto's hip. The brunette's shirt had risen up slightly, allowing Ami's fingertips to brush along bare skin. Makoto moaned then and pressed into Ami further, her own hands tugging the younger woman closer. Ami shuddered as she swallowed the sound, her hand slowly inching its way beneath Makoto's shirt.

Makoto moaned again, her hand gripping Ami's shoulder before moving to tangle in short blue hair instead. Ami's touch was light and ticklish and left the brunette feeling lightheaded from it all. As Ami's hand climbed higher, however, Makoto could feel slight tremors in those pale fingers and the hesitation just before the smaller woman's hand moved to cup her breast.

Makoto gently pushed against Ami before breaking their kiss. Panting, Makoto removed her hand from Ami's hair and lightly grasped the bluenette's wrist. Green eyes stared up into blue ones that were stormy and confused.

"Are you okay," Makoto asked, her breath tickling over Ami's chin. Ami gave a small nod in way of an answer but Makoto sensed there was more to it than that. She pulled back as much as she could, being pressed into the bed, and searched those blue eyes above her once again.

After a moment, Makoto asked, "Is this your first time?"

Ami seemed to pale and then her face went scarlet in almost an instant. Makoto nearly laughed. "N-no," came Ami's stuttered reply. Makoto raised one eyebrow skeptically.

"I'm not a virgin," Ami said, perhaps a bit too loudly and defensively, and Makoto's other eyebrow shot up at her forceful tone. Ami swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked down at the woman beneath her. After a moment, she added, "B-but, I've never been with another girl before."

Makoto nodded in understanding. "Do you want to stop," she asked.

There it was, some part of Ami's cloudy mind reasoned. There was her way out of this. She could stop, she could leave, she could  _go home_  and she could pretend none of this was happening. She could pretend everything was fine the way it was before tonight. Or even last night.

She  _could_  have.

Ami was shaking her head, even before Makoto had finished asking her the question. "No," was her firm and honest answer.

Makoto smiled gently up at her, her thumb gently caressing along Ami's wrist. She pulled her hand away and lightly cupped Ami's chin, pulling the smaller woman back down for a kiss.


	5. An Offer Over Pancakes

Before she opened her eyes, Ami knew it was morning, the sun shinning brightly even through her closed lids. She was also warm. So very warm. And comfortable. Did she really have to move?

Sadly, yes. She was finally coming out of her deep sleep and her senses were all coming online. She knew if she tried to prolong her sleep, she'd only end up with a headache.

She heard a sigh to her right and a puff of warm air tickle her ear. Opening her eyes, Ami turned only her face and saw the serene face of Makoto laying on the pillow under Ami's own head. She felt fingers twitch along her belly beneath the blanket and she smiled. Ami was sure, just as she was falling asleep the night before, she would wake up in a panic. Instead, she realized she had never been so calm.

Ami turned to face the other woman, Makoto's hand sliding over her hip to her lower back instinctively even in her sleep to pull the smaller woman closer. Ami smiled again as she closed her eyes, ducking her head to nuzzle along Makoto's throat.

The taller woman's breathing changed then and she stiffened before stretching out her long limbs before her arms wrapped around Ami, pulling her closer. Ami could hear the smile Makoto wore as the taller woman spoke, " _Mmm,_  good morning." Green eyes opened lazily and the corner of the brunette's mouth tugged upward.

Ami blushed but returned the smile with a small one of her own. "Hi," was her whispered greeting.

Makoto's hand lazily caressed up and down Ami's back. "How did you sleep?"

Ami bit her lip, trying not to giggle at the light touch. "Fine, thank you." This wasn't the awkward morning she had expected and dreaded when falling asleep the night before. She was happy for that; she didn't handle awkward very well. "And you?"

"Very well," Makoto said with a hint of a smirk. Ami's light blush deepened and she ducked her head, hiding her face in the crook of Makoto's neck.

The brunette's smirk softened back into a smile and she shifted to lay a soft kiss on the curve of Ami's shoulder, her lips warm and wet. She felt Ami sigh against her throat as she trailed her kisses upwards along expanse of Ami's shoulder, to her neck, along her jaw. The older woman shifted, gently pushing Ami onto her back and settling over her. The bluenette's arms tightened around her and their legs tangled as Makoto's hand moved teasingly over Ami's hip and thigh.

Just as their lips were about to come together, a loud banging on the bedroom door startled them, causing Ami to jump slightly and for Makoto to fall on top of her fully, her face buried in the pillow beneath Ami's head.

"Koto," came a loud whine from the other side of the door. "I'm hungry! Get up and feed me!" He banged on the door like a petulant child, his whining loud enough to be heard over it.

Makoto raised her head and glared at her door. "That idiot has great timing," she growled. Sighing, she turned back to Ami, whose face had nearly gone nuclear at the thought of someone finding them together like this. "Are you hungry?"

Ami looked up at Makoto, trying to ignore her impending humiliation. With a small nod, Makoto smiled at her. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Oh, um," Ami blushed again. "Whatever Shinozaki-san wants is fine."

"Forget that idiot," Makoto said with a small smile. "I'm not feeding him." Ami giggled and Makoto's smile grew. "Really, whatever you want."

Ami pondered for a moment and then asked, "Pancakes?"

"Pancakes it is!" Makoto kissed Ami quickly before pulling away and standing from the bed. Ami blushed as Makoto, in all her nude glory, stalked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. "Feel free to use my bathroom. I should have a spare toothbrush in the drawer, so you're welcome to that. Come on down when you're ready, okay?"

Ami had sat up when Makoto had left the bed, holding the comforter to her naked chest as she watched the brunette dress. Ami nodded at Makoto's question and the brunette smiled again as she exited the bedroom. Ami sat there for a moment before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She stood from the bed and gathered her clothing from the night before, which was strewn around the bed much like Makoto's had been, and went to the bathroom. She quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth using the tooth brush Makoto had said she had, and dressed.

As she exited the bathroom, she checked her phone which laid on the nightstand. Before falling asleep, Ami had texted her friends to let them know she was sleeping over at Makoto's place. She wasn't surprised to see so many teasing messages in reply. Even if they were right, especially Minako-chan, Ami was dreading going back to the cottage. Sighing, she pocketed the phone and made her way downstairs.

As she made her way across the large open room, Ami could already smell the pancakes being made. Had she taken that long in the bathroom? She caught sight of Shinozaki sitting at the bar, swinging his feet happily with a plate of pancakes already before him. He waited with the patience of a kid on Christmas morning for more. Makoto stood at the stove, spatula in one hand and the handle of a skillet in the other, waiting to flip a couple of pancakes. Makoto looked up and, catching sight of Ami, smiled widely at her.

Shinozaki turned and smiled at Ami as well as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry for the rude wake up," he said. "If I had known you had spent the night, I wouldn't have been knocking on the door this morning. Koto never has visitors stay over so I wasn't expecting it. Again, I'm sorry."

Ami took a seat beside him at the bar, her face flushed a red so deep Ami was sure she'd burst into flame any second. "It's okay," she lied.

He gave her a crooked smile as Makoto placed a pancake on his already stacked plate. "There. Now leave," Makoto growled out at her brother.

Shinozaki smiled brightly at Makoto before pouring syrup on his pancakes and taking his leave back to his bedroom without so much as a thank you. With a long suffering sigh, Makoto turned to Ami. "Sorry," she said simply.

Ami smiled at Makoto. "It's okay," she said again, though this time she meant it. "He did seem apologetic."

"I'll be really apologetic, too, the next time he invites a girl over," Makoto mumbled and Ami giggled despite herself.

"Does he really have girls over so often," Ami asked as Makoto set a plate in front of her with a pancake on it.

The brunette poured more patter into the skillet for their meal. "About as often as I do, really."

Ami felt her heart sink a bit at that. "Oh," was all Ami could trust herself to say.  _I shouldn't be surprised,_  she thought,  _Makoto is a beautiful woman. Surely she has people more than willing to sleep with her._ Ami felt her stomach turn a bit. She wasn't hungry anymore.

Makoto caught the downcast look on Ami's face and asked, "Are you okay?"

Ami shrugged a bit. "Just trying to process last night, I guess." Blushing, she added, "I've never had a one night stand before."

Makoto stilled after placing two pancakes onto a plate. All was quiet when she poured more batter into the pan. Finally, she said tentatively, "It doesn't have to be just a one night stand."

Ami's eyes raised to meet Makoto's steady gaze. Blushing, she didn't look away and asked, "What?"

Makoto shrugged and dropped her eyes back to the skillet. Ami noticed Makoto's cheeks pink as she said, "I like you, Ami, and I would like to get to know you better." She flipped the pancakes and as the batter sizzled, Makoto added, "I mean, even if all we do is hang out and talk, that'd be fine, too. I don't want you to think I want you around just for sex." She smirked then and flicked her eyes back up to Ami's, "Though last night was pretty great."

Ami didn't think her face could get any redder.

* * *

Ami entered the house as quietly as possible. It was still early, the twins should still be sleeping, and she knew they would have questions. Ami wasn't sure if she would have answers.

She spent the night with a stranger, and a female one at that. It was something so out of character for her that, even replaying the memories from the night before, still seemed like a dream. But as much as she hated to admit it, Makoto had made her feel special and wanted and Ami wanted that feeling again.

Maybe she didn't hate admitting that at all.

Ami giggled softly to herself as she reached her bedroom. At the time, Ami had been the only one in their group not dating anyone so of the three bedrooms availiable, she had been given the smallest one. That had been fine with her. Her room had a wonderful view of mountains in the distance and felt that was a reasonable consolation prize for being single.

Ami sat her bag on the bed and looked through the window at said mountain range in the distance. While something she would usually enjoy seeing, her mind was moving too quickly trying to process last night and this morning.

"She wants to see me again," Ami whispered to herself, still not believing it. Someone like Makoto wanted to see her. Wanted to get to know her. Wanted her. Ami blushed and swallowed hard, fidgeting with the bag.

"So you finally came home, huh?"

The voice startled Ami and she jumped, turning to see Minako and Usagi standing in the open doorway, staring at her with the same evil grins they had been wearing when Makoto had picked her up the night before.

"Did you have fun last night," Minako asked, her look sly and devious.

"Fun," Usagi echoed, her face the same as her sister's.

"Um, yes," Ami answered, her face burning hotter.

Minako and Usagi gave each other knowing looks before walking into the room fully. They both grabbed hold of one of Ami's arms and the three of them sat on Ami's bed with the bluenette in the middle, trapped between her friends. Ami was sure her heart would erupt from her chest at any moment, the way it was beating so fast.

"So tell us about your evening and your non-date," Minako teased, smiling how Ami's face reached a shade of red never before seen.

"Did you go swimming," Usagi asked before Ami could answer Minako. "I saw you had packed your swimsuit."

"N-no," Ami replied with a slight stutter, "Shinozaki-san threw a party in the middle of our dinner."

"Wow," Minako said with awe in her voice, "He threw a party in the middle of your date? I'm impressed."

Ami chuckled, feeling some of the tension leave. "Makoto wasn't. She was pretty livid, actually. She knew I didn't like crowds and offered to bring me home."

Minako's expression turned sly again. "And she did. Though I'm sure you meant last night." Ami's face went red again and Minako's face softend. "We're just teasing, Ami-chan. We know nothing happ-"

"We slept together," Ami rushed out after taking a deep breath, her eyes tightly shut.

Her best friends gawked at her, mouths open and eyes wide. "You what," Usagi asked, dumbfounded.

Ami swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I slept with her, with Makoto, last night," she repeated, peeking her eyes open to look at her friends. Usagi still wore a look of confusion but it was Minako whose eyes narrowed.

"Was it consensual?" The blond's tone was even and almost sounded neutral. Ami knew better. She had heard that tone once before and it had been when she asked if a few bullies at school had picked on Ami. A few well placed volleyballs to the face made sure they stopped.

Ami nodded quickly, "It was." Despite her arms being held, Ami brought her fingers together in a gesture of nerves. "She kissed me and one thing led to another and..." Ami trailed off, her fingers tangling and stumbling over themselves.

The twins quickly took hold of one hand each, interlacing their fingers together. As soon as they did, Ami stopped rambling. The blonds squeezed her hands and after a moment, she returned it.

"I don't understand," Usagi asked. "I thought you liked boys?"

"I have to admit, despite my teasing, I didn't think you liked girls," Minako added. Seeing the worried look on Ami's face, she added, "It's not a bad thing!" Then she giggled. "Obviously, I'm dating Rei. Why would I care if you liked girls or not?"

"...Did Ryo-san ruin boys for you," Usagi asked tentatively.

Ami blinked at Usagi and Minako glared at her sister. "That was so rude, Usagi," she scolded.

"Why," Usagi asked, hurt that she may have offended Ami. "I just don't understand, is all! Ami-chan never showed any interest in girls before." Usagi turned to Ami, tears in her eyes. "Ami-chan, I didn't mean to come off like there is something wrong with you, please don't think that!"

Ami smiled at her flustered friend and leaned her head against Usagi's for a moment. "You didn't, it's okay," she answered honestly. She raised her head, her smile in place though it appeared a bit sad. "And, no, he didn't ruin boys for me. To be honest, I was never really into guys in the first place."

Ami had turned slightly to face Usagi as she spoke, so Minako leaned into her back and rested her chin on the bluenette's shoulder. "So why go out with him?"

Ami shrugged a bit, her eyes falling to the floor. "You two were dating and telling me how much fun you were having. I didn't want to feel left out. Ryo was the first person to ever give me the time of day so I figured why not?" Ami sighed. "That sounds so shallow when I say it out loud."

"Maybe," Minako agreed. "But you were seventeen. What kid at that age isn't shallow?" Minako smirked and lightly tickled Ami's ribs with her free hand, causing the younger girl to squeal a bit. "Even the great and powerful Mizuno-sensei."

Ami laughed and bucked, attempting to get away from Minako and her treacherous fingers. After a few moments, Usagi asked, "So... what about Kino-san?"

Ami was quiet for a moment before she answered, "She wants to see me again. Even if it's just as a friend and nothing more."

"That's a good sign, isn't it," Minako asked. "Shows she's interested more in you than just sex."

Ami nodded and swallowed. "But, what-"

"NO," the twins said in unison, startling Ami. "Don't think that way!"

"If that's what she said, then you should take her at her word unless she proves otherwise," Usagi said with an authoritative tone.

"And it's your vacation, too," Minako said in agreement with her sister. "You're entitled to some fun."

Ami turned to glare reproachfully at her best friend. "I never said I wasn't."

"You were thinking it," Minako said in a deadpan.

"Did you two make plans for tonight," Usagi asked excitedly. "You two are awfully cute together."

Ami blushed, but shook her head. "We didn't make plans, no. I sorta got flustered this morning and wouldn't answer when she asked if I wanted to do anything."

The blonds looked a bit saddened by their shy friend's natural reluctance to avoid conflict, whether it was actually there or not, and miss out on a possibly good time. They were about to protest when Ami began speaking.

"But," Ami said, a small smile spreading across her face, "I would like to see her again."

* * *

Makoto sat half reclined on the couch outside her bedroom door, idling flipping through the channels on the tv. She hadn't heard from Ami all day and worried she had pressed too hard, hadn't tried to call or text the bluenette herself. The brunette could help but feel a little disappointed; she had meant what she had said when she told Ami she wanted to get to know her better. But Ami was shy, she knew, and perhaps it was just a little too much for her to handle a casual relationship that would have lasted only a couple of weeks anyway.

Makoto sighed and finally shut off the tv just to hear the distant sound of a car door shutting. Makoto turned in time to see a car pull out of her driveway and down the road a moment before the doorbell rang. Curious, Makoto quickly made her way down the two flights of stairs to the main floor. Through the glass windows and door she saw Ami on the other side, a small smile on a red face and a small bag hanging from her shoulder. Ami's blue hair looked purple in the setting sun's rays.

Makoto opened the door and Ami's smile grew which caused Makoto to smile at her in return. "Would you like some company tonight," Ami asked, her voice hopeful.

Makoto's small smile spread into a wide grin. Still holding the door open, she stepped to the side and gestured Ami inside. As the bluenette stepped past her, Makoto took Ami's bag and held it in her hand. She shut the door as Ami turned to face her and Makoto dipped her head, brushing her lips against Ami's, who happily returned the brief kiss.

"I'm glad you came by," Makoto whispered, the fingers of her free hand teasing Ami's bangs.

Ami smiled brightly up at Makoto. "Me, too."


	6. Party Plans

_AN: Sexiness is afoot in this chapter. You've been warned!_

* * *

Ami gasped, her breath hitching in her chest as her fingers dragged down Makoto's strong back. She arched beneath the woman and then curled into her, her hands moving to clutch and pull the taller woman closer. Her breath came in gasps now as she pressed her head against Makoto's shoulder.

The brunette's breathing did not differ from her own, her warm breath pulsing against her throat where Makoto's face was buried. Makoto's hip continued to slowly roll above her own, and Ami met her as their climaxes subsided.

Makoto braced herself up on her forearms as Ami relaxed fully beneath her, her head back as she tried to regain her breath. It was with great satisfaction that Makoto realized Ami's body was still humming beneath her.

Makoto trailed her lips over Ami's throat and the smaller woman moaned, her legs tightening around Makoto's once again. "Have I told you how much I enjoy waking up with you," Makoto asked in a whisper, her lips trailing up Ami's neck.

Ami shivered at the tone of Makoto's voice, her fingertips pressing into Makoto's back. "N-no, you haven't," she replied while Makoto teased her ear with her teeth.

Makoto smiled and nuzzled along Ami's jaw. "I enjoy waking up with you,  _very much_."

Ami smiled and pushed against the Amazon, turning her onto her back. Leaning over the woman, she nuzzled along Makoto's throat. Her tongue darted out and she tasted the salt along the brunette's tanned skin. She shifted when she heard Makoto sigh, rolling slightly on top of her to get a better angle in which to bite at Makoto's neck and shoulder.

Makoto's legs shifted restlessly against Ami's own. "Don't start anything you don't plan on finishing, little girl," Makoto warned, a growl in her voice.

Ami moved to straddle Makoto's hips and pushed her down into the bed by her shoulders. The brunette smirked up at her. "Is that a challenge," Ami asked defiantly with a smile.

"Oh, someone thinks they're hot stuff cause they're on top, huh?" Makoto chuffed. "Just because you're on top doesn't mean you're in control."

"It doesn't," Ami asked. "Seems to work for  _you_."

Makoto laughed and reached for Ami and the younger woman smacked her hands away. Makoto laughed again and Ami suppressed a giggle as they struggled to get the upper hand on one another.

Finally, Makoto sat up, surprising Ami as she did. She grabbed the blanket and pulled, moving up to rest against the headboard as she did so. The blanket pulled against Ami's back and she moved with Makoto. Finally, Makoto grabbed Ami around the waist with one strong arm and held her close. Her other hand moved between them, her fingertips teasing Ami's center.

Ami gasped, her hands moving to the headboard for support. She rocked her hips over Makoto's hand and the brunette let her set the pace as she kissed along Ami's collarbone. Makoto's arm that held her loosened and she caressed Ami along her spine before gently gripping her at the hip.

Makoto kissed the base of Ami's neck, gently biting her skin as she slid her fingers deeper. Ami shuddered, bringing one hand to tangle in auburn locks. Makoto glanced up at Ami and smiled, her hand moving faster and deeper.

"Will you come for me, Ami-chan," Makoto asked in a whisper.

Ami groaned and shut her eyes, her head falling to Makoto's shoulder as her hips rolled wildly over Makoto's hand.

Her climax was quick and as she came, she cried out Makoto's name. She clutched at Makoto's shoulders, the older woman holding her close as she came apart in her arms. She whimpered when Makoto pulled her hand away moments later.

Eyes still shut and her head still down, Ami gasped for breath cradled in Makoto's arms. She blushed furiously when she head Makoto lick her fingers clean. Ami peeked one eye open just as Makoto pulled her finger from her mouth and licked her lips. Green eyes looked her way, softened by gentle smile. Ami returned it, moving her head so she press it against Makoto.

Their eyes locked together, blue and green lost in each other. Makoto smiled again, bringing her hand up to gently caress along Ami's jaw. She tilted her head then and Ami met her, their lips coming together softly. They sighed into the kiss, both happily lost in the feel of the other.

The moment was broken by the alarm going off. Soft music began to play and reluctantly they both turned toward it. With a sigh, Makoto leaned over and shut it off. Turning her attention back to the smaller woman still straddling her, she smiled.

"Time to get up," she said softly.

"I guess so," Ami replied just as quietly.

Makoto's arms stayed around the bluenette and neither made a move to go. Makoto leaned in close and kissed the underside of Ami's jaw softly. Ami sighed and tilted her head, her fingers playing with Makoto's hair.

The Amazon's arms tightened around her and Ami returned the hug. Finally, Makoto released her and Ami moved from Makoto's lap and stood from the bed. Makoto followed suit, kissing Ami on top of her head. "I'll go make breakfast if you want to grab your shower first?"

Ami nodded and Makoto smiled, caressing Ami's cheek with the back of her fingers before picking up her discarded clothing from the night before, dressing, and heading downstairs.

* * *

"So, I was thinking," Makoto said as she flipped the eggs in the skillet. Ami sat at her usual spot at the bar, watching Makoto cook for them. The brunette looked up and saw Ami's eyebrows raised in question. "Why don't you invite your friends over for the evening? I talked to 'Zaki about it yesterday and he said he'd hold off on the party he usually has on Fridays if they want to come over. I'll make us dinner and we can either swim in the pool or head down to the beach afterwards."

Ami smiled. Her friends had been wanting to get to know Makoto since Ami had been spending all week with her. "I doubt there are any concrete plans. The twins usually don't make plans when they visit places like this. And if they do, they usually break them. They're too spontaneous" Ami giggled. "I'll text you and let you know?"

Makoto smiled and nodded, placing the eggs on a plate. "I'll stop at the store on the way home."

"And I'll drive over with them so you don't have to go out of your way," Ami offered.

Makoto smiled, her eyes falling back to the stove shyly. "You wouldn't be out of my way," she said softly

Ami blushed, her own demeanor shy as she grinned at the brunette who cracked a couple of more eggs into the frying pan.


End file.
